Furnace for producing silicate of soda and the like



W. H. STANTON. FURNACE FOR Pnonucm slLlcATE or soDA AND 'THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9| 1920. I

D Patented Aug. 15, 1922.,

entre@ stares' earner carica.

WLLIAM H, STNTON, OF RIDLEY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA.

FURNACE FOR RODUCNG SILCTE OF SODA AND THE LIKE.

new and useful Furnace for Producing Silicate of Soda and the like, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference' being had to theaccompanying drawing.

My invention more especially relates to furnaces adapted for meltingglass, silicate of soda, silicate of potash or substantially similarmaterials, and for fusing together.

the ingredients from which these materials are ordinarily made, and aprincipal object of my invention is to provide a furnace of novelconstruction and arrangement which may be conveniently, economically andsatisfactorily employed vfor the purpose aforesaid, and by the operationthereof a more uniform and satisfactory heating and fusion of thematerials is obtained. y

My inventionfurther includes all of the other various novel objects,operations and features of construction and arrangement hereinafter morespecifically referred to and described.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one form of my improvedfurnace, Fig. 1 being a central, vertical longitudinal section thereof;Fig. 2, a vertical, transverse section taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig.3, a horizontal transverse section taken on line 3 3 in Fig. 1 and Fig.4 a fragmentary diagrammatic View illustrating a convenient arrangementof the valves by means of which the operation of the furnace iscontrolled.

My invention comprises a furnace employing a pair of similar meltinghearths separated by a suitable bridge wall and'embodying means wherebyeither hearth, or the material thereon, may alternatel be heated atmaximum temperature andy the other hearth, or the material thereon,simultaneously heated at a relatively reduced temperature, so that whilethe charge of material on one of the hearths is being subjected to theaction of the burning gases at substantially their maximum temperatureof combustion, a charge of material on'the other hearth may be graduallyraised from va cold state to a temperature at which the gases burning atmaximum temperature may be economically directed upon it for itsSpecification of Letters Patent. Patent-@d Aug jl5, 1922.

Application filed August 9, 1920. Serial No. 402,284. i

`nal heating after the completion of thetreatment of the first chargeand ensuing reversal of the direction of the passage of the burninggases through the furnace. More specifically, the form of furnace shown1n the drawing comprises a pair of hearths 1 and 2 separated by atransversely extendlng bridge wall 3, the hearths being supported at asuitable distance beneath` the roof 4, preferably upon transverselyextendmg beams 5 or in any other suitable manner. The furnace isprovided with side walls 7 7 and end walls 8, 8 in the ordinary mannerand the roof of the furnace above the hearths is preferably slightlytransversely arched and also inclined downwardly from its ends towardthe middle whereby the incomingy .burning gases are directed downwardlytowards the hearth adjacent their point of yentry to contact with thematerial thereon. The roof of the furnacev may be provided with aplurality of suitable charging apertures* 10, and one or more suitabledoors 12 are provided adjacent each hearth through which the charge maybe withdrawn after melting.

Beneath each hearth are located regenerator chambers extendinglongitudinally of the furnace, the chamber or\chambers 15, 16 directlybeneath the hearths being preferably designed to alternately recelve thefresh incoming gas as hereinafter described,-

and the chamber or chambers 19, 20 at the lowest part of the furnace andmost distantly removed from the hearths being preferably adapted for thevalternate reception ofl the lfresh incomingair. The several chambersmay preferably consist .of a plurality of longitudinally extendingpassages having arched roofs, as shown in the drawing,r o1Q may be ofany other form suitable for accomplishing the results desired, the

several chambers being provided with suitable checkers 22 preferablycomposed of suitably arranged brick-work in the ordinary mannr.

From a point adjacent the outer extremity of each of the air regeneratorchambers 19, 20, suitable fiues 25 and 26 lead respectivelyl upwardlytoward the roof 4, each flue being preferably substantially of themaximum width permissible between the side walls of the furnace, andfrom the outer extremity of each of the gas regenerator chambers 15, 16corresponding flues 27 and 28 also extend upwardly toward thefurnace-roof, vertlcal walls 29 and 30 braced, if desired by arches 31,serving to separate each adjacent set of dues, and the upper end of eachwall being deflected inwardly and suitably supported on piers 32, asbest shown in Fig. 1, so that the ascending columnsof gas and air areprevented from uniting until they issue from their respective portsadjacent the outer extremities of the hearths. Suitable doors 33 may beprovided -in the walls of the furnace through which access may be hadywhen desired to the gas regenerator chambers and their respectiveflues, and similar doors 33 arranged to give-accessl to the airregenerator chambersl and their respective .iues. If desired, thatportion of the furnace containing `the regenerators may be` surroundedwithsuitable insulation 34.

For the purpose of conducting the fresh gas to, and a portion of theburned gases from, the gas regenerator chambers 15, 16

1 transversely extending passages ,35 and 36 able gas valve A by meansof which the flow of the fresh and burned gases through these fines maybe controlled, and the air passages Y being separately connected bysuitable iiu'es 47, 48 witha suitable air valve B, by meansof which theflow of Ithe fresh .air and burned gases through these flues may becontrolled, a preferred arrangement of the several flues, passages andvalves being diagrammatically shown lin Fig. 4. It will be understood'that theA valves A vand B are connected respectively withthe sources ofas and air supply by conduits 50 and 51, and-.a

communicate, by suitable passages 52 and 53, with a chimney or stack 55or other means for creating a draft through the furnace and carrying offthe burned gases therefrom.

While the valves A and B may be of any v suitable 't construction, thosediagrammatically shown in Fig. 4, each comprise a stationary outercasing and an internal movable member or turtleback C, by the movementof which communication can be established as desired between eitherofthe iiues leading tojthe Jrespective valves from passages 35, 36 and39, 40 and the conduit leading from that valve to the chimney, while theother flue leading from the passages to that valve is left open toreceive the ,fresh incoming-7 air or gas from the source ofsupply, thearrangement of the valves and passages for effecting these results beingwell understood by those familiar with the art.,l

With the various parts constructed and arranged substantially as hereindescribed, it will be evident that with the turtlebacks C in thepositions shown in solid lines in Fig. 4, and fresh gas supplied tovalve A will pass through Hue 43 and passage 35 to the regeneratorchamber 15,'and from thence upwardly through flue 27 .to a point abovehearth 2.l Simultaneously the fresh air entering valve B will passthrough flue 47 and passage `39 to regererator chamber 19,` and flue 25to unite with the entering gas adjacent lthe outer extremity ofrhearth2. From this point the ignited mixture of vair and gas passes over thehearth beingdelected downwardly toward it or the charge thereon by theconformation of the furnace roof,

thence over bridge wall4 3, and traversing o hearth 1 or thecharge-thereon, downwardly through fiues 26 and 28 through theregenerator-chambers 16 and 20, and from these chambers, throughpassages 36 and 40, and fines 44 and 48', to the undersides-of theturtlebacks, and through conduits 52 and 53,. to the chimney 55. It willfurthermore .be evident that if the turtlebacks, or other equivalentmeans in valves A and B', be

moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the direction ofthe flow of the gases through the furnace will be 'reversed so that theignited` mixture of air and gas willflrst be directed overhearth 1, andthen, passing over the bridge wall and traversing hearth 2, will beconducted from the furnace through rcgenerator chambers 15 and ,19 andtheir connecting passages and flues l p 1105 fusing of materials 1n tothe chimney 55.

AIn the melting `or reverberatory furnaces supplied with regenerators,it has been the practice to effect areversal of the direction of the.flow of the gases at relatively short intervalsof time so that for eachcharge melted in the4V furnace a relatively large number ofreversals aree'ected. This method of operation is open to ,numerous disadvantages,among which may be mentioned the great' waste occasioned by the ejectionor blowing out from the ilues and regeneator chambers of thegases whichhave been drawn into them preparatory to combustion and with which theyare filled, as,l well as theloss arising4 from theblo'wing out of thefurnace of the gasesf burning 1n the hearth at substantially theirmaximum temperature so that at each inter- .val of the furnace the heatunits contained in the heated but unburned gases in one setr of finesand regenerator chambers as wellas those contained' in the freshlyignited gases iny .the hearth are almost `entirely wasted.

v I have found that with a furnace, preferably substantially of the formof that herein described, the treatment of certain materials and moreespecially glass, and silicates of soda or potash, and the melting orfusion of the ingredients from which these materials are ordinarilyformed, may be carried out much more economically and satisfactorily byonly eeeting a reversal of the floviT of the gases each time that a new,charge of material is introduced into the furnace, instead of eectingthe reversal several times during the treatment of each charge. Morespecifically, when employing my preferred form of furnace with a chargeof material on each hearth, l first arrange the valves, for example asshown in solid lines in Fig. 4,-.so that the incoming, intensely -heatedgases will be directed on the charge on hearth 2 to effect the maximumheating thereof, after which at relatively reduced temperatures theypass over the bridge Wall to the charge on hearth 1 and gradually anduniformly raise the temperature thereof before passing throughtheregenerators 16 and 20 and delivering to the checkers therein a stillfurther port-ion of-their contained heat Which l have found in practiceto be amply sufcient heat to raise the checkers to the desiredtemperature, so that the gases are induced to give upa very large partof their contained heat before reaching the stack, .thus materiallyenhancing the economy of operation. After the charge on hearth 2 hasbeen melted and drawn, and a fresh charge introduced to that hearth, the

direction of the fiow of the gases 'isi immediately reversed, so thatthey will be directed on the charge on hearth 1 at their maximumtemperature. As this charge has already been raised to a relatively hightemperature, Vthe combustion of the gases is not retarded or interruptedas is the case W en the burning gases are directed against a coldcharge, but the maximum heating effect is immediately attained, and, inaddition, thecharge is heated more evenly and uniformly and with betterresultsthan when a cold charge is introduced to a very highly heatedchamber in which the gases are burning at their maximum temperaturepursuant to the ordinary practice. It will be understood that during theheating of th`e charge on hearth l the initially cold charge on hearth 2is in'turn being heated through the action of the gases carried overfrom hearth 1, and that .after thecharge on the latter hearth has beencompletely heated` and drawnl from the furnace, a fresh charge isintroduced and the flow of the gases again immediately reversed so thatthe operation of melting the 'already heated charge on one hearth Whilea cold charge is being preheated on the other hearth may be carri'edoncontinuously.

It should be understood that the method or process Which I havedescribed cannot be satisfactorily employed With materials requiring arelatively long period of heating, but is adapted more especially tothose classes of materials Which can be completely heated or brought tothe desired state in a period of substantially two hours or less, for lhave found th'at good results cannot be obtained if the flow of thegases be continued in one direction for a greater time thanapproximately the period mentioned, and that in consequence thesaidprocess or method is, therefore, inapplicable to the production `of'iron and other metals or substances for which a relatively long periodof heating is required.

While l: have herein illustrated and de- /scribed one preferredembodiment of my improved furnace With considerable particularity, andWhile l .have found in practice that the same is capable /of' affordingmost satisfactory results, I do not intend or desire to limit myselfspecifically to the form of furnace which .lf have shovvn and described,as changes may be made in/the details of construction and arrangement ofthe various parts thereof, as may be desired, and the process or methodof operation which l have described may be varied in minorparticulars,Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as definedin the appended claims.

Having th'us described my invention I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent of the United States: i

hearth disposed longitudinally thereof and .a roof above said hearth, ofa pair of gas regenerator chambers beneath said hearth extendinglongitudinally of vsaid furnace, an

air regenerator chamiber beneath each of said regenerator chambers alsoextending longitudinally of the furnace, a flue leading from the outerextremity of each said regenerator chambersiopening into the spacebetween the superimposed hearth and the roofl at a point adjacent anouter extremity of the hearth and operative to conduct gas from saidchamben to said space, and separate passages communicating respectivelywith the inner endof each ,of said regenerator chambers operative torespectively conduct air or gas thereto and toy conduct the spent gasesof combustion therefrom.

2x. In a furnace the combination With a hearth positioned longitudinallythereof and a roof above said hearth, of apair of sepl rality ofseparate passages extending transversely of thefurnace, each of saidpassages 100 l. In a furnace the combination with a being arranged tocommunicate respectively with the inner end of one of said regeneratorchambers, means to separately supply air and gas to said passages andmeans operative to control the direction of the passage of air and gasthrough the furnace.

3. ln a furnace, the combination with a double hearth, the sections ofwhich are disposed consecutively longitudinally of the furnace, and aroof above said hearth, a pair of vas regenerator chambers eachrespectively beneath one of said sections of said hearth and extendinglongitudinally of said furnace, a pair of air regenerator chambers alsoextending longitudinally of said furnace and each respectively beneathone of" steamer gases of combustion therefrom, and a reversing valvecontrolling the direction of the fioW of the gases through said chambersand over said hearth.

. 4. In a furnace, the combination With a double hearth, the sections ofWhich are positioned conse\utively longitudinally of the furnace and aroof above said hearth, of a pair of separate gas generator chambersbeneath said hearth, a pair of air regenerator chambers also beneathsaid'hearth, a flue leading from each of said gas and air regeneratorchambers to a point adjacent an outer extremity of the superposedhearth, a plurality of separate passages extending trans- 5 versely ofthe furnace each of said passages being arranged to, communicaterespectively with the inner end of one of said regenerator chambers,means to separately supply air and gas to said passages, and valveoperative to control the direction of the passage of air and gas throughsaid furnace.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of August,1920.`

vvrLLrAM H. sfrAN'roN a reversing

